Addressing homelessness is one of my top priorities. Every single day, we are getting people off the street, connected to services and on a path to securing permanent housing.  

Big City Mayors Advocate for Permanent State Funding to Combat Homelessness

In our ongoing efforts to tackle California's homelessness crisis, the California Big City Mayors coalition convened at the State Capitol to urge Governor Gavin Newsom and state legislators to permanently fund Homelessness Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP), a grant program designed to provide local jurisdictions with funding to expand or develop local programs and services to address homelessness.

This bipartisan group of mayors from California's 13 largest cities, which I chair, spent the day in Sacramento highlighting the crucial need for sustained state support to continue the progress we’ve made in providing shelter and services to people experiencing homelessness up and down the state. 

Since its inception, the HHAP program has enabled cities to serve nearly 150,000 unhoused residents and create more than 15,000 shelter beds. These achievements underscore the program's effectiveness in bringing critical resources to the forefront of the battle to end homelessness.

We emphasized to state lawmakers that permanent funding would ensure cities can maintain and expand these essential services, providing a stable foundation for long-term planning and accountability. 

Embracing the need for accountability on homeless funding, our coalition also released a report detailing the number of new shelter beds and interim homes that cities have added with these vital state funds.  

Additionally, our coalition called for the restoration of funding to the Regional Early Action Planning 2.0 (REAP 2.0) grants, vital for local governments to update housing plans and create new housing opportunities.  

The Big City Mayors' day of advocacy in Sacramento reflects a united front in tackling homelessness and housing affordability across the state. We look forward to working alongside state leaders as we continue to work every single day to get people off our streets, connected to care and on the path to permanent housing.  

Opening Doors to Hope and Stability: San Diego's New Shelter for LGBTQ+ Youth   

Thanks to a generous $1.5 million federal grant and reliably effective advocacy by Congressmember Scott Peters, we are set to begin the conversion of unused office space in our San Diego Housing Commission’s (SDHC) downtown building into a 44-bed shelter for transition-age youth experiencing homelessness. 

This shelter is more than just a place to sleep; it is a beacon of hope and a safe haven for young people in need. Designed to be a permanent resource, this new LGBTQ-affirming shelter builds on the success of an existing program currently hosted at two interim sites, providing a total of 23 beds for transition-age youth. The program is operated by the San Diego LGBT Community Center in partnership with San Diego Youth Services and the YMCA of San Diego County. SDHC contracts with the LGBT Center to operate that program. 

The expansion of this vital program will not only increase our shelter capacity, but also enhance the support services we can offer to young people who need help getting on their feet. This new facility will focus on creating an environment that is affirming and supportive for all youth, including specialized support for LGBTQ+ individuals. Focusing on serving this specific population is important becuase roughly half of people experiencing homelessness today became homeless for the first time between the ages of 18 and 24, and studies have shown that as much as 40% of youth experiencing homelessness are LGBTQ.  

The $1.5 million in funding will be used for necessary capital improvements to transform the office space into a welcoming and functional residential shelter. These renovations are essential in ensuring that the space meets the needs of the young people it will serve, providing them with not just beds, but a stable foundation on which they can build their lives as they transition to adulthood and independence. 

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Congressman Peters whose unwavering support was crucial in securing the funding for this crucial project, and to SDHC for being willing to use any and all resources they can to help end homelessness in San Diego. 

This commitment to our city's youth and to tackling homelessness head-on is helping us move forward with a project that will make a real difference in the lives of many young San Diegans. 

Groundbreaking Progress: Cuatro Project Ushers in New Era of Affordable Housing in City Heights

City Heights Community Development Corporation (City Heights CDC), in partnership with Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation and Interfaith Community Services, broke ground this week on Cuatro at City Heights, a housing and mixed-use community that will provide 117 units of much needed affordable housing as well as 13,000 square feet of commercial space.  

Thanks to the collaborative efforts of these partners, this project is set to make a significant impact on the neighborhood. 

I’m proud that Cuatro benefited immensely from two pivotal city programs designed to enhance housing affordability. The project received $4 million through our Bridge to Home initiative, which provides crucial gap-financing assistance to affordable housing developers. This initiative has been instrumental, helping finance 16 projects totaling more than 1,300 affordable homes. 

Additionally, Cuatro was fast-tracked by our Affordable Housing Permit Now program. This initiative, born from an executive order I signed, mandates a 30-day review period by city departments for 100% affordable housing projects. To date, it has expedited permits for 21 projects, comprising over 2,300 homes – 1,700 of which are already under construction. And I’m proud to report that our permitting team is getting their reviews done in an average of just 9 days!  

Thank you to everyone involved in this game-chancing project. I’m especially thankful to the City Heights community for supporting this pivotal project and other affordable housing projects like it. 

Together, we are all working toward getting a roof over every San Diegans’ head at a price they can afford.  

National Volunteer Week Spotlight: Safe Parking Volunteers

Part of National Volunteer Week the City highlighting some of the amazing residents who donate their time to keep San Diego strong. We’re introducing you to a group of University City residents who for the last seven years have been serving meals to residents at the City’s Safe Parking Program. 

The group volunteers with Jewish Family Service (JFS), who operates the City’s Safe Parking lots.

“They brought pizza, they brought birthday cakes – and then they also come at other times of the month and do readings with our children staying here,” said Sunni Robertson, JFS’ director of volunteer engagement. “They’re retired teachers and they’re fabulous – they're just giving back to their community.”

Rita Shafer helps organize the monthly meals, which include a birthday cake. Many participants in the Safe Parking Program are first-time homeless and many families are enrolled. In addition to the monthly meal, Schafer and her neighbors organize a food pantry.

“We realized what the families need is shelf-stable food,” Shafer said. “So we brought our dinner but we also brought shelf-stable foods for them to use during the month.” 

Shafer and her neighbors have no plans of slowing down and encourage others to volunteer with the program.

“Have you seen those cute faces of those little children? You just couldn't not come back,” Shafer said about volunteering. “Those children are adorable and also they’re our neighbors. We live in University City, five miles away, these are our neighbors and they need us. They need help. They’re moving up, this is not a permanent place for them, they are moving forward.”

“It's not even the food you bring it’s the time you spend with them,” said Deanna Dorvillier, who volunteers with the Safe Parking Program.

If you’re interested in preparing or serving meals for Safe Parking residents, reach out to safeparkingdinners@jfssd.org or call the volunteer line 858-637-3050.

Homeless Resource Event Comes to Kearny Mesa 

The City’s Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department hosted their first resource fair in the Kearny Mesa/Clairemont Mesa neighborhood this past week at Lindbergh Neighborhood Park.  

More than 100 unsheltered residents came to the Community CARE event where they had an opportunity to connect with social services, get state ID cards, basic medical care and resolve minor infractions with Homeless Court.  

The City regularly hosts these homeless resource fairs with government and nonprofit partners. 

Community at the Core: Celebrating Connection at Weekly Dinner for People Experiencing Homelessness  

Two of my dedicated Community Engagement staffers, Emily Piatanesi and Randy Reyes, recently joined the nonprofit We See You for their weekly dinner celebration for our unhoused neighbors. We See You supports people who are unhoused by connecting them to resources such as clothing, hygiene products, food and potential rehabilitation programs. 

They also host dinner parties for people who are unhoused. Every Tuesday, volunteers from all over San Diego come together to host a party for people who live on the streets.  

Through the weekly gathering, the volunteers work to build relationships and establish trust so they can have more success when they invite individuals to enter detox or a recovery program that best meets their needs. 

Thank you to the staff and the committed We See You volunteers for coming together to help address homelessness in San Diego.